Dump bucket and bailer



March 27, 1928.

E. GRAY DUMP BUCKET AND BAILER Filed 'July so. 1927 Patented Mar. 27,192s.

g 1,663,591 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AELLSUOIBflH GRAY, OF HOUSTON,.TEXAS, ASOSIGNOR TO GRAY TOOL COMPANY,Ol'

HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION .OF TEXAS.

DUMP BUCKET AND BAILER.

Application filed July 30, 1927. Serial No. 209,543.

My .invention relates to buckets for use in deep well operations,particularly oil wells. In cementing wells-1t is common to place thecement in a bucket of some length and let the bucket down in the well toa posi-l tion closely adjacent the bottom of the well and therereleasing the cement and with; drawing the bucket. There is somediiliculty in carrying out this operation dueto the fact that the valvewill not remain open properly while the 1 full charge of cement isdischarged.

It is an objectof my invention to providel a controlling device for thedischarge opening of the bucket whichv will effectively close the lowerend of the bucket while the cement is being lowered into the well andwhich will open and remain fixed inopen` position so as to assure thefull discharge of the contents when the bucket is withdrawn. Theinvent/ion resides. particularly in .the construction of the closingdevicev whereby the valve is raised and held eilectively out of its seatand in such position that itwill not interfere -with the discharge `oi.the cement.

Referring to the drawing herewith for a fuller understanding of theinvention, Fig. 1 is a side view illustrating my bucket in position in awell, the casino' and the lower port1on pf the bucket being shown incentral vertical section. Fig. 2`is a side elevation of the valvecontrolling member; and Fig. 3

is a section throu h the lower end of the cement bucket /wit m inventiontherein, the valve being in close posltion. Like nu- -merals ofreference are employed to pdesig Anate like parts in all the views.

My dev1ce is adapted forfuse in a lwell and in the drawing I have showna casing 1 as indicating the walls of the wellin which the cement is tobe set. Said casin is shown as resting upon the lower end o the well-2,

thus enclosing a cylindrical well bore extending upwardly to thesurtaceand having the casinggltherein.

The cement which is lowered to the bottom of the. well, when cernentingis necessary, is preferably an elongated pipe or tube 3 open at itsupper end and provided with 'a bail or handle 4 by means of which it canbe connected by a cable 5 or other supporting means to a hoisting meansat the surface. x

The lower 'end 01:' the bucket is formed by a tubular housingor shoe 6.This housing has a threaded engagement at 7 with the main body of thebucket. The lower endv of the shoe is provided with a flaring orbellshaped opening 9, through which the cement is discharged. The upperend of the lshoe is also beveled .or flared at 10 to form a seat for avalve 11.

The valve 11 is shown as a disc-shaped valve, the lower side of which istapered to vthe cement when the valve is in open posi'- tion.

The valve is opened by means of the valve stem which projects downwardlythrough i the housing 6 and has at its lower end a foot or stop member15 which is adapted to contact with the bottom of the hole when thebucket is lowered and to thus force the valve upwardly off its seat..The valve is adapted to be held in raised position olil its seat bymeans of resiliently hooked arms 17 connectd to the valve stem at 18adjacent the lower end theareof. These armsare inclinedvv outwardly andupwardly from their point of attachment and the outer ends are hookeddownwardly at 20 to engage within an inner groove 19 in the inner wallof the housing.

As will be seen particularly from Fig. 3, the

groove 19 is an fannular one extending" around the housing, the lowerwall of the` groove being undercut to provide an outwardly inclinedshoulder 21 over which the hookedy ends 2O of theN arms may engage.

It is to be noted that the arms 17 upon the valve stem lbear against thelower `flared opening 9 of the housing when the-'valve is in closedposition, asindicated in Fig. 3. The force of the. arms 17 is notsulicient to hold the, valve rigidly in its seat but is suicient to holdit in place while the cement isbeing poured into the bucket and afterthe` cement is thus poured above the valve, the valve will be held intightly closed position while the bucket is lowered to the bottom of thewell. The contact of the foot 15 with the bottom 'of the well will throwthe l the resilient arms 17 into the groove 19, where they will engageto prevent downward movement of the valve thereafter.

When the valve has been thrown from itsl Seat in this manner, its looseengagement with the valve rod will allow it to fall to one side, asshown in Fig.l 1, and the full charge of cement may drain out of the'bucket intothe bottom of the well as the bucket is withdrawn. When thebucket has reached the surface the resilient arms 17 may be pressedinwardly so as to disengage them from the shoulder 21 of the groove andvalve stem may be drawn back into the position show-n in Fig. 3, closingthe valve,

to receive anothen charge of cement.

While I have described the invention as adapted particularly fordischarging cement, it is to be understood that it may be used ltodischarge water into a well in the standard rig system-of drilling orfor any similar purpose. I do not wish to be limited,

` therefore, to any particular use of my inend of said stem, said stemprojecting from said bucket to contact with the bottom of the Well andraise said valve, and means on said 4valve stem engaging said bucket toprevent downward movement of saidl valve after it has been properlyunseated.

3. In a device of the character described,- a bucket open at its lowerend, a valve in said bucket, a valve stem, a loosely pivoted connectionbetween said valve and the upper end of said stem, said stem projectingfrom said bucket togcontact -with the bottom of the Well and raise saidvalve, and-resilient hooks on said stem engaging said bucket when saidvalve is raised for the purpose described.

4. A bucket for cement and the like comprising a tubular body open atboth ends, a housing in the lower end having a valve seat therein, avalve in said seat, a valve stem, means linking said stem loosely tosaid valve, said stem adapted to project below said bucket, and means toretain said valve in open position after it has been raised from itsseat in use.

In testimonywhereof I hereunto aix my `signature this 23d day of July,A. D. 1927.

ELLSWORTH GRAY.

